


The Hoshidan Princess

by LittleLuxxie



Series: A song of Conquest and Fate [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-19 01:12:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14863833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLuxxie/pseuds/LittleLuxxie
Summary: King Garon returns from the peace-talks in Cheve with unexpected news, and a young girl.





	The Hoshidan Princess

Xander was 10 years old when his father brought Yumi home.

It was a late afternoon, and all four siblings were in the nursery. Xander sat to the side with a heavy book in his lap, trying to concentrate. He would be rehearsed the next day on the Nohrian bannermen and their allegiances.

Camilla sat on the floor with Leo, building towers of wooden blocks. She was ever so patient with the fact that he most enjoyed knocking the tower over. She only built it up again and let him push it down. Leo glanced at Xander at regular intervals, trying his best to not disturb his big brother, but his playful giggles broke the silence more often than not. Xander didn’t hold it against him though, as he cherished the fact that there was still time for playful innocence for their family.

In the corner sat their nanny in a rocking chair, with little Elise sleeping in her arms. That child could sleep through a hurricane and be none the wiser, a few scattering blocks didn’t bother her.

A knock on the door broke the peaceful atmosphere, and Father stepped in. The nanny immediately made to rise from her chair, but he only waved a hand at her.

“Please, remain seated, Cassista, there’s no need to wake the little princess.”

She relaxed back into the chair and said with a small nod in the direction of the king, “Your Highness.”

“Father!” called Leo, painstakingly got to his feet and tumbled over to him.

Father lifted him into a hug, “Leo, my boy, you grow like a weed, soon you’ll be taller than Xander.”

The comment stretched Leo’s grin from ear to ear, and Xander just shook his head. But his focus was on Father, there was something different about him since last they spoke. His eyes seemed to have sunk in, with dark circles around them, and he was sure he saw more gray strands in his hair and beard. The cheerful comment seemed to have cost him a great effort.

“Father, I am pleased to see you return,” said Xander, carefully studying Father’s every movement as he put Leo back down on the floor.

“And I am pleased to be home, my son,” he said in a tired voice.

“Father, Father, Father,” Camilla was at his feet, pulling at the hem of his cloak, “You know what happened? Elise walked!”

“Did she now?” The smile he offered didn’t reflect in the rest of his features. Something seemed to weigh heavy on him, a melancholy Xander wasn’t used to see this openly.

“I think ‘walked’ is a little strong,” said Xander, “she stood and fell into Camilla’s lap.”

Camilla sent him a glare, “You didn’t see properly, Xander, she took at least two steps.”

Father chuckled slightly, then turned to the doorway. This was when Xander noticed the purple-haired girl, standing uncertainly half inside the door, pulling at the hem of her dress and looking at them under her fringe. She couldn’t be much older than Leo, at most 4 years would be his estimate.

“Come in, child,” said Father, and held out a hand to her. Hesitantly she walked over to him, her eyes flickering between them all and she bit her lower lip.

“This is Xander,” Father pointed at him, “and Camilla, and Leo, and over there is little Elise sleeping in Cassita’s knee. Children, this is Corrin, she’s your new sister.”

He patted her on the shoulder and she opened her mouth to say something. But Camilla’s squeal of delight drowned out everything else.

“Another sister! This is the best day ever.” She was practically bouncing and stood in front of Corrin in a heartbeat, “We’re going to have so much fun, Corrin!”

“My name is not Corrin,” said the girl surly, glaring up at their father, “it’s Yumi.”

She had a distinct way of pronouncing words, that wasn’t quite the Nohrian dialect. Xander didn’t have any trouble understanding her, but it sounded odd.

“I believe you are mistaken, your name is Corrin,” said Father.

“It’s not.”

She stuck her chin out in a defiant expression, and Xander had to admire her for not flinching under their father’s gaze.

“I will not discuss this with you any further, young lady. Your name is Corrin.”

Before the girl had more time to argue, Camilla pulled at her arm, “Come here, let’s play with Leo.”

After a few moments thought, she did as she was told. She sunk down in her knees next to Leo and began fiddling with a building block.

“All of you have to make sure Corrin feels at home here,” said Father, directing the statement more to Xander than the others. At the name ‘Corrin’, the girl tensed and glowered at him, but did not interrupt again.

“I promise we will, Father,” said Xander solemnly. He was also delighted to get another sister, but there was something off about the situation and the tension in Father worried him so he had trouble concentrating on anything else.

“I trust that you will,” said Father and sat down next to Xander, “What are you reading?”

Xander looked down at the book in his lap, he had forgotten all about it. He held it up so Father could read the title ‘The lesser hoses of Nohr’.

He hummed approvingly, “I am pleased to see that you are keeping up with your studies.”

Xander smiled and searched out the passage where he’d stopped reading. Father leaned back in the sofa and watched the children playing on the floor. Xander’s concentration was interrupted at regular intervals by heavy sighs from Father, and a knot grew in his stomach.

After one and a half chapter, Father said, “Cassita, I think it’s time for the little ones to sleep.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” she said and rose from the chair. She ushered them together, took Leo in her free hand and told Corrin to follow her.

“Camilla, please go with them and make sure Corrin gets tucked in properly.”

“My name is not Corrin!” a light voice called from the corridor, “it’s Yumi!”

Father didn’t answer this time, he only rubbed his temples and waited until he was alone with Xander.

Xander carefully marked his place in the book, and then said, “Am I to understand that the peace-talks did not end well, Father?”

“That is correct, Xander. King Sumeragi refused our proposal to join our countries through marriage. I will not repeat the things he said about us and our country.”

Xander’s heart sank in his chest. Not he had been particularly fond of the thought of marrying one of the Hoshidan princesses, but Father had said that was the only way out of the current situation. And that a ruler sometimes must make sacrifices for the good of the people.

“What are we going to do now, Father?” He fought to keep his voice level.

“This was one of those times when I as King had to make a very tough decision,” he said with a sigh, “Our people must come first, and we could not afford to be refused the help from Hoshido, as I have already explained to you.”

A chill went down Xander’s spine. They had invaded Hoshido, but that was out of desperation. He feared to hear what had happened next.

“This is where Corrin enters the picture. She is one of the Hoshidan Princesses.”

“But-… But I thought you said she was our sister?”

“And that is how we will play this.”

Xander’s eyebrows knotted together, trying to understand.

“As long as we have her here, we have a bargaining chip to secure resources for our people. I did this to avoid more bloodshed.”

“So, she is a hostage, then?” said Xander with a sigh of defeat.

“You could say that. But we will not treat her as such.” Father turned and looked him straight in the eyes, and a glint of his usual clear gaze could be seen before the gloomy look to precedence. “Can you tell me why?”

Xander racked his brain, “Because the Hoshidans will get angry if we mistreat her?”

“The Hoshidans are already angry, Xander, and they will assume that we’re mistreating her.”

Father sighed again and didn’t wait for Xander to give another answer.

“No, but the little princess is not responsible for the actions of her father. We need her to secure food for our people. But there is no reason to be unnecessarily cruel. Remember that Xander,” he held Xander eyes, “A good ruler knows that sometimes they have to make sacrifices for the good of the people, but cruelty turns sacrifice into tyranny.”

“I will remember that, Father.”

“It will also serve us well if it is not widely known where the princess is being kept, hiding her in plain sight is the best way to assure that.”

“I understand,” Xander nodded, “is that why we will call her something else?”

“Yes, it is better if the servants know as little as possible of her lineage.”

Xander thought about this for a while. “May I ask something about that?”

“You may.”

“If she continues to protest every time someone talks to her, won’t that pull more attention to it?”

Father smiled approvingly at him, “You are a clever boy. Though I would rather not cave on this matter, if the behavior continues we will have little choice but heed her wishes. If we want to keep this a secret.”

“Then what do we tell Camilla and Leo, and Nan?”

Father thought about for a moment, “We’ll tell them her mother was of Hoshidan ancestry and wanted to call her Yumi. And that it somehow stuck in the girl.”

Xander paused, considering whether he would dare ask his next question, but decided he really needed to know.

“Will I still have to marry her?”

Father was quiet for so long that Xander began to wonder if he shouldn’t have asked. Maybe it sounded like he wanted to shrink away from his duties.

“Only time will tell, my boy. But for now, no. This wasn’t an ideal solution, even so, we have what we need from her. We will raise her as your sister, and siblings don’t marry.”

Xander let out a sigh, he couldn’t deny that he felt relieved at this.


End file.
